CLIFF NOTES — Stop me if you’ve heard this one: Bargaining chip or must-have for Dems? It’s hard to know what to make of the inclusion of a $50 billion infrastructure piece in the opening move of the fiscal cliff negotiations, but Republicans — even big transpo boosters — aren’t feeling it. Rep. Steve LaTourette told MT it’s a “terrible idea.” T&I Chairman John Mica said “there’s no appetite for spending on our side.” But Democrats are insistent on a growth piece in the mix of tax reform and spending cuts, and infrastructure must just be it. It’s an issue that their party sees as: If not now, when? “This is the place. We’ve got to use the leverage we’ve got,” Rep. Elijah Cummings told MT.

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‘Being used?’ Transpo stakeholders admit they are happy to get a seat at the table. Lead Chamber of Commerce lobbyist Janet Kavinoky called the proposal “the opening salvo in what is going to be a long process.” Still, there’s some skepticism, said ARTBA prez Pete Ruane: “We’re supportive of the idea, but I don’t know where it fits into the whole scheme of things. We just hope it isn’t being used politically as trading bait.” Kathryn, Burgess and Jessica bring it: http://politico.pro/TAcfl0

No joke: Like fellow Dems in Congress, the president is serious about a growth piece in the negotiations and will insist on some stimulus provisions to support the economy, W.H. National Economic Council director Gene Sperling says. Bloomberg: http://buswk.co/U6WgpO

Deficit dance: Truckers are already raising an alarm over ongoing fiscal cliff negotiations, which many stakeholders hope will include some kind of fix for the Highway Trust Fund. What the truckers don’t want to see is a deal that raises money for the fund but also siphons part of that revenue off for deficit reduction. That sort of split was one of the components of the Simpson-Bowles deficit reduction plan, which many have held up as an example framework for discussions. More from Land Line: http://bit.ly/YdEIAO

LaHOOD TO STOP BY RAYBURN: Not long after swinging by the MWAA hearing, Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood is scheduled to testify at a House Transportation Committee hearing titled “Mistakes Made and Lessons Learned” on the administration’s high-speed rail program. Incoming House T&I Chairman Bill Shuster as well as current Chairman Mica have both criticized the Obama administration’s “spread it around” approach to rail. The hearing is on Thursday.

TRANSPO COMMITTEE CLARITY COMING THIS WEEK: Our talks with members and aides suggest this week will deliver to House T&I some of the long-awaited subcommittee assignments and perhaps membership rosters for one or both parties. “I was just talking to folks, they haven’t finished the ‘A’ selection. When they finish selections, that will determine who moves around,” Mica told reporters, referring to the top-flight committees such as Ways and Means, Appropriations and Financial Services. Mica himself is staying on T&I and Oversight, and he is pretty clear that he wants Rep. Darrell Issa’s gavel in 2014. My post on Mica’s future: http://politi.co/WzdZZ3

East Room watch: Mica rubbed shoulder with the likes of Robert De Niro and Jimmy Kimmel at a White House reception for the artists honored at the Kennedy Center last night.

ABC: After watching a pair of T&I members jump last week to Approps, we asked the retiring LaTourette — a study of the committee operations — if T&I is less desirable than it used to be. He said rising T&Iers often set sights higher than transpo committee work, which he said is still important despite the earmark ban. “The people that I know are trying to jump from transportation to an ‘A committee,’” LaTourette said. It’s not a new theme, he added: “When I got on Transportation in 1995, I sat next to Latham, LaHood, Saxby Chambliss. And they were all gone the next term on to bigger and better things.”

Waiting on a call: That’s a pretty impressive list. Chambliss is in the Senate, Rep. Tom Latham a cardinal on Approps for THUD and LaHood, of course, transportation secretary. We pressed again: Should LaHood leave, is LaTourette also on to bigger and better things, like an office on M Street SW at DOT HQ? “My phone’s not ringing,” he said with a laugh. Our transpo sources have not been shy about promoting his candidacy to us — and he hasn’t ruled out interest in the secretary job.

WATERWORLD WARS: Midwestern senators want the Army Corps of Engineers to keep goods flowing along the parched Mississippi River by pulling from the neighboring Missouri River, but lawmakers whose hometowns draw from that drying river basin don’t want to give the water up. A transfer “will undoubtedly have a negative impact on the people and many businesses in the states we represent,” Sen. John Thune and 14 other Kansas, South Dakota and North Dakota lawmakers wrote the Obama administration. But a larger contingent of Mississippi River lawmakers say otherwise, like Illinois Sen. Mark Kirk: "We simply cannot afford to have traffic on the Mississippi River stop due to low water levels.” Jessica covers for Pros: http://politico.pro/TCzHe0

** A message from Airlines for America: U.S. airlines drive 10 million jobs and $1 trillion in economic activity. They can do even more with a National Airline Policy that will help spur economic growth and create more high-paying jobs. To learn more visit http://bit.ly/Wzm4wV. Follow us on Twitter http://bit.ly/V9zAWw. **

FOR SAFETY'S SAKE: President Barack Obama has declared December National Impaired Driving Prevention month and this week is also AOTA’s Older Driver Safety Awareness Week (More info: http://bit.ly/6vXpz).

MEDALS AND RAILS: Joyce Rose has a new gig as president and CEO of Operation Lifesaver, a railroad safety non-profit. Rose’s last day as T&I’s Railroads Subcommittee staff director was Friday, and Mica took to the floor last week to note her 25 years working in the transpo world. He called the Hill vet a transpo “subject matter expert” and said she was “instrumental” in getting Central Florida’s incoming SunRail commuter rail going. Last week DOT heavyweights FTA Admin Peter Rogoff and FRA Admin Joe Szabo attended her retirement party, we hear, and “surprised her” with the Superior Achievement Award from Secretary LaHood. Its inscription: “In recognition of your years of dedicated service supporting public transportation for the American people.”

AN EVEN SPLIT: MT readers were split down the middle on whether TSA officers’ identities and the security screening process are transparent enough, and several readers wanted to know what the big idea is about. Serendipitously, part of last week’s GAOT&I hearing on TSA was testimony titled “Transportation Security Administration Needs to Improve Complaint Processes.” Read that here: http://1.usa.gov/TAaB2x

NEW MT POLL — Chairman Shuster: Now that it’s official, we want y’all to weigh in on Shuster as transpo chairman. Are you really excited or do you think someone else was better suited for the job? Vote here by Sunday at noon: http://poll.fm/40dz2

MNF: The Metro will stay open an hour later tonight with the Redskins playing the Giants in a huge NFC East match-up at FedEx. The last Blue Line train will leave Morgan Boulevard at 12:25 a.m.

THE AUTOBAHN (SPEED READ)

- A signal problem may have precipitated a New Jersey derailment last week, which caused spewed chemicals and dozens of hospitalizations. The NTSB is on the scene. AP: http://abcn.ws/U9UFPT

- The New York MTA is preparing to borrow about $5 billion for Sandy repairs. SAS: http://bit.ly/TvC1TQ

UC ME SHINING: The Senate passed a version of the “No Hassle Fly” Act (text: http://bit.ly/TrdNKr) intended to allow faster passage for travelers with checked luggage by UC on Friday, but it’s not yet headed to Obama’s desk even though the House has already passed a bill with a similar title (text: http://bit.ly/RnN31V). A Senate source tells us the bills are “almost identical” but the Senate bill would create agreements between TSA and other countries with regard to security screening. “The difference is coming at the issue from how people go through customs vs. how baggage is screened,” the source said. Stay tuned.

MAILBAG — Cough it up: Sen. Jay Rockefeller, chairman of the Senate Commerce Committee, wants more information from Hyundai and Kia about how they plan to ensure consumers know they can be reimbursed for overstated fuel economy claims in some models. The two automakers have agreed to provide consumers debit cards that will be refilled with the difference in miles per gallon based on current fuel prices, plus an additional 15 percent, as long as they own the vehicles. Rocky’s written to Hyundai ( http://bit.ly/WCrMOG) and Kia ( http://bit.ly/TDU6ih) asking for details, with a response deadline of Dec. 14.

THE COUNTDOWN: DOT funding runs out in 115 days and the 113th Congress convenes in 32 days on Jan. 3. Passenger rail policy runs out in 302 days, surface transportation policy in 670 days and FAA policy in 1,032 days. The mid-term elections are in 701 days.

CABOOSE — Zone out: Wired brings a collection of dazzling visualizations of big city transit systems. Check out New York, which unlike most others, never really goes to bed. http://bit.ly/YistmL

** A message from Airlines for America: This week, Airlines for America launched a campaign for a National Airline Policy to help spur economic growth and create more high-paying U.S. jobs. It’s good for travelers, businesses and employees and will help: reduce airfare taxes; reform the regulatory burden on U.S. airlines that adds unnecessary costs; support a comprehensive national energy policy to stabilize energy prices; implement a NextGen air-traffic-control system to better manage air traffic and reduce delays; and keep U.S. airlines globally competitive. To sign the petition and learn more about the campaign visit http://bit.ly/Wzm4wV. Follow us on Twitter http://bit.ly/V9zAWw. **

** A message from the U.S. Travel Association: To make America competitive again, we need to be connected, to each other and the world. America has zero airports ranked in the top 25 globally, and that's more than just an embarrassment—it's a missed opportunity. Travel is critical to our country's trade balance, since it accounts for ten percent of all exports, and supports one in nine American jobs. If we're not connected through modern airports, America loses out. Investment in our country's infrastructure is an investment in connectivity, which is vital for our people, our economy, and our place on the global stage. Learn more: http://bit.ly/1QLPK5L **

Authors:

About The Author

John Burgess Everett is a congressional reporter for POLITICO. He previously was a transportation reporter for POLITICO Pro, Web producer, helping run POLITICO’s Twitter and Facebook accounts, and a contributor to the On Media blog.